"I’ve Never Had Any That Was Better Than My Mom’s": People Are Sharing The Best Meals Their Moms Cook, And A Lot Of These Warm My Heart
Just another reason why moms always know best.
There are just some foods or meals that a mom or other maternal figure or relative makes best, no matter how hard we try to replicate them. Redditor u/Jay_Normous asked, "What does your mom cook better than you?" and the many responses prove this to be true.
Here are some of the wholesome, heartwarming responses.
1. "I’m a good cook, but my mom was an amazing cook. She had a garden, and all of our vegetables were fresh. She’d cook spaghetti sauce, salsa, and jams. She took cooking lessons from a Mexican neighbor and learned to make authentic recipes. She’d roast and peel her own chiles for chile rellenos and make enchilada sauce from scratch."
"Our birthday cakes were always beautiful because she took cake-decorating lessons, and she was really good at it. The one thing I really miss is her fried chicken. I’ve never had any that was better than my mom’s. She wrote down her recipes and made books for me and my sister.
"I make them from time to time. It’s a lot of comfort food, and not really the way we eat now. She died from breast cancer when I was 18. I wish I had learned how to make her fried chicken. Frying intimidates me; it’s probably the only technique I don’t know how to do."
2. "Once a year, at Christmas, she makes stuffed shells that are delectable. She's generous with the red wine and garlic, and they are made with love."
3. "Chicken and dumplings. My mom is from Mississippi, and she grew up learning to cook good comfort food. Realistically, she's probably better than I am at cooking anything. But in my mind, her chicken and dumplings are the major standouts."
4. "I'm professionally trained, and my first kitchen job was in Italy. Nothing comes close to my mom's meatballs. I have her make them and help her every time I visit home, but mine are never the same."
5. "Honestly, everything. She's really good, but I think her crowning achievement is her Sunday roast."
6. "Her biscuits, fried chicken, sauerbraten, and gravies of all kinds."
7. "She's a better dessert baker than I am. Her cakes are amazing. I remember one she made for Christmas that had layers of vanilla cake and rum icing. It was so moist and flavorful."
8. "Meatloaf. It seems like such a simple dish, but her meatloaf is perfect. It is solid enough to remain a loaf but is deliciously moist and perfectly flavored. My meatloaf always falls apart and is too wet. She's probably shown me how to do it a dozen times, but I still can't get it right!"
9. "Pie! I never, ever make pies, and she knocks them out, NBD."
10. "My mom is an excellent cook. Her posole is better than mine because I take time-saving shortcuts; also her meatballs and enchiladas. She makes great fruit desserts, and when she is in town, she teaches my kid to cook. I miss my mom."
11. "Chocolate chip cookies. It's the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag, more or less, but she futzes with it just enough to change it, and they are always perfectly cooked."
12. "Fudge. My mom is not a good cook, but she has a fudge recipe that is great, and she's made it so many times, she'll always be better than I am. She may not know what 'mise en place' means, but she makes a damn good fudge."
13. "It’s funny because it’s such a simple thing, but grilled cheese or any kind of melty sandwich. Mine is pretty good, but there’s something absolutely wonderful about hers. She always manages to get them crispy and dark golden on the outside and melty inside every single time."
14. "Reddit doesn't have enough server storage for all of these. But to name a few: tomato sauce from scratch, artichoke salad, chicken cutlets, all salads, roast potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausage and peppers, turkey, and stuffing. Basically everything, and I'm considered a good cook among my friends."
15. "My mom makes this pasta bake with sausage and white wine. It's one of my favorite foods in the world. She's given me the recipe. I've watched her make the damn thing. I still can't get it right. Mine turns out bland and/or dry!"
16. "Eggplant lasagna. Hers is just...softer in a different kind of way."
17. "Chicken fried steak. I have made it time and time again and my husband loves it, but it doesn’t hold a candle to my mom's."
18. "Meatloaf and creamed peas. I crave it, try to make it, and it is never as good."
19. "My Southern mama is an amazing cook! I grew up in the Northeast, and my friends always wanted to eat at my house because of my mom's cooking! She is huge on casseroles, which are my favorite."
20. "My mom died several years ago. I use her potato salad recipe and a few others. She made a great rhubarb coffee cake that I would devour. It is not quite the same when I try to make it."
21. "Everything. When she wants to bring it, she can impress anyone. My husband never had home-cooked American food until he met me, and he still talks about her mashed potatoes, potato salad, and enchiladas. Anything comfort food, she is perfect. We finally almost perfected her potato salad. Still not perfect, but it’s such a nice reminder of home. She gives us food constantly, and it’s always eaten immediately. Love her."
22. "Cheese on toast! Somehow, her melting shredded cheddar cheese on a piece of wheat bread in the toaster oven hits just right 100% of the time."
23. "Anything dough-based. My mom is from Beijing, aka Northern China, where they eat more flour than rice. Think noodles, dumplings, bāozi, mántou, bǐng, and dough drop soup. She mixes dough from scratch by hand and feels, without any sort of measurements or instruments."
24. "Spanish rice with chicken. It’s unbelievably good. Of course she just tosses stuff in a pan and has no idea what the 'recipe' is, so when I try to mimic it, I don’t even come close."
What does your mom or another close relative cook better than anyone else? Tell me in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
UPDATE
This post has been updated to reflect BuzzFeed's editorial standards.